Several bone fragments recovered in 1856 from a limestone quarry located in the Neander Valley became the type specimen for eandertal man. Originally, the bones were dismissed as belonging to a cave bear, but further examination concluded the remains having distinctive hominoid features. A comparison of the typical modern human skull (top) with a Neandertal skull shows the characteristic forward projection in the middle of the face, the voluminous nose, rounded eye orbits, double-arched brow ridges, and the lack of chin. Viewed from the side, the skull is low and long. The rear view reveals the globular outline of the braincase of the Neandertal as compared to the “breadloaf” shape of the modern human skull. Despite the close DNA similarities, scientists are uncertain if Neandertal should be classified as a subspecies of Homo sapiens or as a distinctive species.
